June, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Jockey Sheldon Russell Nearing Comeback From Injury

Champion Maryland jockey Sheldon Russell is nearing a return to the races more than nine months after being hurt in a pre-race spill at Laurel Park.

“He's doing great,” Russell's agent Marty Leonard said. “He's been getting back on horses for a couple weeks now and feeling good. He's really close to returning to riding.”

The 34-year-old Russell was originally hurt last September 9 when 2-year-old Maryland-bred filly Little Bit of That got spooked and reared heading to the track before what was to be her career debut. Russell was unseated and landed on his right foot, toes-first, and was diagnosed with a Lisfranc injury, involving both the bones and ligaments in the middle part of his foot.

Russell underwent successful surgery to repair the injury and, following a long recovery and rehab, began getting on horses again in April but was back on the sidelines after breaking his collarbone during morning training.

“He was probably about a week away from returning when that happened, so it was another minor setback,” Leonard said. “It was about an eight- to 10-week injury.”

Russell is married to Brittany Russell, leading trainer this year during Laurel's spring stand as well as the subsequent Preakness Meet at Pimlico Race Course. Interestingly, it was Little Bit of That's victory on Mother's Day, May 8, that clinched the mom-of-two's first meet championship.

At the time of his injury last fall, Russell led all jockeys in Maryland in purses earned and was second in wins. He has won more than 1,500 races and $43 million in purses since 2007, overcoming several injuries during his career.

“He's gone through this a few times. He's resilient and relentless, he really is,” Leonard said. “We're just going day by day and we're going to let him tell us when he's ready to go. When he's ready to go, I'm sure we'll have a horse to get on.”

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Bounced Around At Start, Army Wife Proves Best In Lady Jacqueline Stakes

Three Diamonds Farm's Army Wife repelled a challenge from runner-up Crazy Beautiful and earned her first victory of the year in the $250,000 Lady Jacqueline Stakes on the Ohio Derby (G3) undercard Saturday at JACK Thistledown.

With Tyler Gaffalione riding for trainer Mike Maker, Army Wife overcame a somewhat troubled start as she was one of several horses bounced around after Jlo Can Dance bore in badly when the gates opened.

Soon settled by Gaffalione, Army Wife prompted the pace set by Maliced into the far turn, then took over to lead by a half-length in early stretch.

Crazy Beautiful, a multiple graded stakes winner also caught in the chain reaction bouncing at the start, raced in fourth, then fifth, before advancing into third nearing the far turn. With Army Wife in her sights, she moved into second, 1 ½ lengths behind the leader, but could get no closer than three-quarters of a length back at the finish line.

Army Wife finished the 1 1/8 miles for fillies and mares in 1:50.80 on a fast track. She returned $4.40 as the 6-5 favorite in the eight-horse field.

She's Pure Silver, sent off at 54-1, rallied from sixth while never far back and finished third, 5 ¼ lengths behind Crazy Beautiful. The race was marred when Grade 1 winner Maracuja, who raced in last place under Kendrick Carmouche at the half-mile mark, was eased to the wire after sustaining an injury to her left foreleg in deep stretch and vanned off.

Army Wife, a 4-year-old Declaration of War filly, posted her third stakes triumph, following back-to-back victories last year in the Black-Eyed Susan (G2) and Iowa Oaks (G3). Overall, she has a 5-1-5 record from 14 lifetime starts and purse earnings of $786,272.

Bred in Kentucky by J. D. Stuart and AR Enterprises & Sales from the Arch mare Tread, Army Wife was a $190,000 purchase by Ryder Finney, agent, at the 2020 OBS Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training.

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Favorite Tawny Port Bests White Abarrio, Classic Causeway In Ohio Derby

Making his first start since finishing seventh in the Kentucky Derby (G1), Peachtree Stable's Tawny Port captured the $500,000 Ohio Derby (G3) Saturday at JACK Thistledown, winning from White Abarrio, the runner-up, and Classic Causeway, third, each also making their first starts since unplaced finishes in the Louisville classic May 7.

Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. in the Ohio Derby, Tawny Port won by one length after settling in fifth of seven runners through Pineapple Man's opening quarter mile in :22.82 as that rival dueled Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2) winner Classic Causeway for command and Curlin Florida Derby (G1) victor White Abarrio raced in third.

When Pineapple Man threw in the towel, Classic Causeway got his head in front for a half mile in :47.08. He opened a 1 ½ length lead through six furlongs in 1:11.08 while White Abarrio got ready to rally to his outside.

Also ready to run, Tawny Port advanced steadily through the far turn and went wide to grab a slim lead in early stretch from Classic Causeway, who was running out steam. He responded willingly when Ortiz asked and knuckled down to easily best White Abarrio. Classic Causeway was another 1 ¼ lengths back.

Tawny Port completed the 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.46 for his third win of the year and fourth overall from seven career starts for trainer Brad Cox. He returned $4.60.

Prior to the Kentucky Derby, Tawny Port won the Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3) April 16 at Keeneland and was runner-up in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) April 2 at Turfway Park following a fifth in the Risen Star (G2) in February at Fair Grounds in his stakes debut. After winning his only start at age 2, he opened 2022 with an allowance victory at Turfway January 7.

Tawny Port, by Pioneerof the Nile, was bred Kentucky by WinStar Farm from the Macho Uno mare Livi Makenzie.

A $430,000 purchase by Peachtree's John Fort from Machmer Hall Sales at the 2020 Keeneland September yearling sale, he has lifetime earnings rose to $727,000 with the winner's share of $300,000 of the Ohio Derby purse.

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Tawny Port Whistles Home at Thistle

Saturday's GIII Ohio Derby–the lone graded event carded annually in the Buckeye State–attracted three runners who made their last start on the first Saturday in May beneath the Twin Spires in neighboring Kentucky. The trio, sent off the first, second and fourth wagering choices in the $500,000 test, would go on to combine for a trifecta that returned a chalky 14-1, as Peachtree Stable's 13-10 favorite Tawny Port (Pioneerof the Nile), a respectable seventh in the Derby, gathered up 3-2 second-elect White Abarrio (Race Day)–16th at Churchill–in the waning stages to take it by a length. Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway), who outran odds of nearly 79-1 to be 11th in the Run for the Roses, boxed on gamely for third in his first run for the Ken McPeek barn.

Tawny Port broke without incident and was happy enough to sit back in the latter half of the field as longshot Pineapple Man (Gormley) and Classic Causeway led from White Abarrio, who appeared to be falling into yet another perfect trip. Classic Causeway, who displayed a bit of a rating gear, re-engaged and poked his head in front with about five furlongs to travel and galloped them along down the backstretch, as the chief protagonists bided their time a few lengths in arrears. White Abarrio was the first to come after the front-runner at the three-eighths marker and Tawny Port was also finding his best stride while forced to cover a bit of ground on the turn. White Abarrio poked his gray snout in front between rivals at the top of the lane, but Tawny Port was doing slightly the better work to the outside and grinded out the victory.

Two-for-two over the Turfway synthetic to start his career, Tawny Port was an even fifth behind Epicenter (Not This Time) in the GII Risen Star S. Feb. 19 before returning to the Florence oval to complete the exacta underneath Tiz the Bomb (Hit It a Bomb) in the Apr. 2 GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks. Backing up on just two weeks' rest in an attempt to pick up the necessary points for a Kentucky Derby bid, the dark bay scored a one-length success in the GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. at Keeneland. Drawn 18 of 20 in the Derby and sent off at 80.50-1–30 cents lower than the victorious Rich Strike (Keen Ice)–Tawny Port raced in the last third of the field for the opening three-quarters of a mile, came six wide for the drive and was beaten just under five lengths.

Pedigree Notes:

It has been a remarkable 2022 posthumously for Pioneerof the Nile, who passed away suddenly just over three years ago. Of course the sire of Triple Crown hero American Pharoah, Pioneerof the Nile has been represented by no fewer than nine black-type winners this season, including recent GI Acorn S. heroine Matareya, GII Summertime Oaks/GII Santa Ynez S. victress Under the Stars, GII TwinSpires Turf Sprint hero Arrest Me Red and Canoodling, winner of the GIII Megahertz S. and GIII Wilshire S. He is the sire of an additional 10 black-type performers this season alone.

Tawny Port is one of three winners from four to the races for his talented dam, a half-sister to Korean-based stakes winner and millionaire Clean Up Joy (Purge). Third dam Trust Greta bred eight winners from as many starters, including six-time GSW Surf Cat (Sir Cat) and GSW Rosie O'Greta (Fight Over). Livi Makenzie is the dam of a yearling filly by Always Dreaming from the same Empire Maker sire line as Tawny Port and foaled a colt by Global Campaign this past Apr. 25.

Saturday, Thistledown
OHIO DERBY-GIII, $500,000, Thistledown, 6-25, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:50.46, ft.
1–TAWNY PORT, 126, c, 3, by Pioneerof the Nile
1st Dam: Livi Makenzie (SW & MGSP, $354,069), by Macho Uno
2nd Dam: Greta's Joy, by Joyeux Danseur
3rd Dam: Trust Greta, by Centrust
($430,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Peachtree Stable; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $300,000. Lifetime Record: 7-4-1-0, $727,000. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–White Abarrio, 126, c, 3, Race Day–Catching Diamonds, by Into Mischief. ($7,500 Ylg '20 OBSWIN; $40,000 2yo '21 OBSMAR). O-C2 Racing Stable LLC & La Milagrosa Stable, LLC; B-Spendthrift Farm, LLC (KY); T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.. $100,000.
3–Classic Causeway, 126, c, 3, Giant's Causeway–Private World, by Thunder Gulch. O-Kentucky West Racing LLC & Clarke M. Cooper; B-Kentucky West Racing LLC & Clarke M. Cooper Family Living Trust (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek. $50,000.
Margins: 1, 1 1/4, 5. Odds: 1.30, 1.50, 6.30.
Also Ran: Barese, Droppin G's, Ethereal Road, Pineapple Man. Scratched: Brigadier General. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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